Château Meyney is located in the wine appellation of St Estèphe and is owned by Domaines Cordier. The 49ha property produces on average 30,000 cases per year. Located in the east of the appellation, next to Château Montrose, Meyney has a similar climate to that enjoyed by the Médoc: maritime, with the Gironde estuary and the Bay of Biscay combining to act as a climate regulator and the coastal pine forests sheltering the vines from the westerly and north-westerly winds.

Château Meyney’s vineyard is planted of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, on a perfectly-drained gravel soil that provides ideal conditions for grapes ripening. This unusually high share of Petit Verdot explains a particular trait of the wines, which regularly show notes of leather and musk after a period of time.

Vinification includes 15 months’ wood ageing, 30% new oak.

The wine is full-bodied, well-rounded and structured. After ageing, the wine displays the remarkable charm of the best Saint-Estèphe: complexity, balance and harmony.

James Suckling – 92 points

13 Feb, 2017 – This is one of the most immediately appealing 2014s from the appellation thanks to its very ripe black fruits, and there’s still a lot of structure behind it. Reminds me of some of Meyney’s top vintages of the 1960s. Drink or hold.

Wine Spectator – 91 points

Ripe and languid in feel, with flattering plum, blackberry and black currant fruit, layered with a toasty ganache edge. Need to tighten up a bit, as the fruit is a touch gushy now despite the weight. Reveals some good acidity buried on the finish, however, so worth the gamble.

Vinous – 90-93 points

A deep, powerful wine, the 2014 Meyney shows the more virile, imposing side of the vintage. Black cherries, plums, game, smoke, tobacco and menthol are all supported by a spine of firm tannin that gives the wine its imposing structure. This fruit did not come in until October 30, very late, even by the standards of the year. The style is decidedly virile, with more than enough pure depth and underlying structure to develop beautifully in bottle for many years. Consulting Winemaker Hubert de Boüard is doing terrific work at Meyney.

Wine Advocate – 90 points

When I tasted the 2014 Meyney from barrel, I described it as a little gem. Now in bottle, is it still glistening as brightly? Well, it has a delightful, well-defined bouquet of blackberry, cedar and pencil box that is your typical Saint Estèphe. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin on the entry, good weight in the mouth and that Pauillac-like graphite tincture on the finish extant. There is a touch of chewiness here, some rough edges that will need to be abraded by bottle age, but there remains good potential.